Ink fountain or dip well



p 11, 1933- c. L. KUBISTA INK FOUNTAIN OR DIP WELL Filed March 12, l932 Patented Apr. 11 1933 UNITED STATES CHARLES I KUBISTA, OF LE SUEUB, MINNESOTA J INK FOUNTAIN OR DIP WELL Application filed March 12,

This invention relates to ink receptacles and the like, and more particularly to dip wells or pits adapted to be associated with conventionalink bottles now in use. 7

It is an object of my present invention to provide an improved ink receptacle of the barometricfeed type, by means of which fountain pens may be filled and other pens may be dipped without submergingthe pen 10 point too deeply into the fluid or soiling the holder in any manner during. the filling or dipping of the same. j 7

It is a further object to provide an. extremely simple and eflicient dip well which 7 may be associated with conventional types of ink bottles or containers, and which, when so associated, will insure the application of to the pen point at a uniform height regardless of the depth of ink within the container, which will minimize the evaporation of the ink when the container is left uncorked, and which will further act as a stopper for the container when the same is sold and from the time it is first used until the 5 contents have been depleted.

'More specifically, it is an" object to provide in an ink container structure, an inexpensive dip well which will have a frangible lower end, which has a sealingflange or. means at its upper end for tight connection with the neck of an ink bottle, and which, when associated with an ink well eitherby the manufacturer or by the user, may be utilized to form a stopper for the receptacle and after the frangible lower end is broken .to produce a barometric feed within the well.

"These and other objects and advantages of V the invention will be more fully set forth inthe following description madeinconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which like reference characters refer to similar partsrthroughout the severalviews,v

and in which :I

ventional type of ink bottle with an emafford greater flexibility.

cross lines which intersect at the longitudi-gl.

Fig. '1 is a side elevation showing a con- 7 of the bottle neck-"J A: screw cjap 10,havingz;

1932. Seria1No.'598,419. H

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionthrough one form of theQdip-wellwherein the lower end of the well is slitiinintersecting lines and a frangible jacket or cap is applied to. the lower end thereof; 7 I v a Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the; line 47-4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; :j 1 i F ig. 5 is a perspective view of a somewhat difl'erent form of dip-well, and r i a Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of the lower portion of the form shown in Fig. 5. V I 7 7 Referring to the drawing, particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, a conventional type of bottle or ink container C is shown having the reduced ne'ckor throat 7.

A- dip-well 8 depends into the container,

.rial at the lower end of the dip-well is diminished considerably in. thickness to The lower end or tip of the dip-wellS is slit along a series of nal axis of the well,-forming flexible and re-, silient flaps 8;: which substantially close-the lower end of the well. .If desired, before slitting the lower end of the well, a small axial aperture Sd'may be formed throughjsaid end; The slitand apertured lower endfof wellv 8 in theform shown in Figs.- 1 to .4, is covered by a frangible j acket or cap 9 which maybe constructed of any suitable material, such as thin rubber of the nature used in toy balloons. The jacket 9 may be vulcanized or otherwise secured to the lower portion of well 8 to form an-air-tightjoint.

The'well. 8, with thej thrust intothethroat of the bottle, and the] tip orilower end of the well is submerged acket unbroken, is

' considerably belowthe surface; of the normal contents of the bottle andthe well is supported by the sealingflangefiafrom the edge liquid, may be commercially sold with the 7 well operatively applied.

-per'ipheryof said well. The point of the In use, a pen is thrust downwardly'into the well 7 ,said pen being centered by the conical pen easily penetrates the axial 'aperture8d and breaks the frangible j acket9. The jacket, before being punctured, is preferably somewhat stretched and, when punctured,

leaves the flaps 80 of the well substantially and substantially the entire contents'of theunrestricted. The height of the lower end of well 8 above the bottom of container C determines the maximum depth to which the pen point is immersed. Since the flange 8a -of-the' well 8 is sealed against the upper edge of the neck of the container, an ink receptacle of the barometric feed type is provided when the jacket or seal at the lower end of the well is broken. Ink will not rise in dip-well 8,

r container may be consumed Without danger of dipping the pen point too deeply or soil I, ing thepen holder. The flaps 80 at the lower end of-the well will act to yieldably cushion the impact of the pen as it is thrust in the well andwill have a slight wiping action against the pen point, preventing an excess of fluid from accumulating on the point.

In Figs. 5 andfi, I show a somewhat different form of dip-well thanthat previously described." The well indicated by the numeral 12 is of the general shape and structure of v the form firstdescribed, and preferably is constructed of compressible elastic material, such as soft rubber, the thicknessof the material being diminished considerably at the lower and closed end thereof. 'The closed end of dipwell 12-is not slito'r apertured,

but, 'inthe forming of the well, grooves 12?) are cast or otherwise formed into the mate rial, said grooves penetrating the greater portion of the thickness of the lower end of the well and intersecting substantially at the longitudinal axis of the well. Inthis form, the flange 12a of the well is clamped to the upper: edge of the neck 7 of the ink receptacle bythe screw cap '10, thus forming a tightseal. The well acts as a stopper for the contents of the receptacle i until the lower end of the well 12 is punctured. When the user forcibly thrusts a pen into the well, the lower end of the well will be severed along the defined lines of cleavage formed by the grooves 12?), thus permitting fined in the appended claims.

penetration of the pen point into the con tents of the receptacle below well 12. After two or three successive uses, the lower end of well 12 will be out along the several grooves 12?) defining flaps 120 which are the equivalent of the flaps 80 of the form first described. It will be apparent that my structure may be incorporated in the ink receptacle by the manufacturer, acting as a closure or stopper, or, if desired, maybe sold as an attachment or accessory for conventional types of ink containers now in extensive use. When used as an accessory, it may be removed and operatively positioned in a filled receptacle by closing the open upper end of the well 8 with a cork, or with the thumb; inserting the well in the filled container and sealing the flange 8a. When the cork or thumb is-remove'd, a receptacle of the barometric feed type will have been formed; a Y 1 It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, de-

tails, proportions and arrangement of the parts, without departing from the scope of my invention, which, generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth and in the novel parts and combinations ofparts disclosed and de- What' is claimed is z w E 1. In combination with'an ink container, a well formed integrally from compressible material, theupper end of said well being open and sealed about its periphery to the I upper portion of said container, the lower end of said well being spaced above the bottom of the container substantially the distance to which it is ordinarily desirable to dip grooves extending partly through the material, said grooves being adapted toformslits defining flexible flaps when breakage ha been effected therealong. e

2. In combination with an ink container having an externally screw threadedneck, a"

well formedintegrally of flexibleiand compressible materia'h the upper end of said well I being open and provided with an outwardly extending flange',-a screw. cap adapted to fit the externally screw threaded v neck I of said" container the upper portion'of saidcap: being apertured to leave an inwardlyextending flange, the flange of saidiwell'being adapted a pen and'being provided with intersecting I to be clamped between the flange off said.

cap and the upper edge of theneck of said" container to secure and seal said well to said container, the lower end'of'said well being spaced above the bottom of: said container substantiallythe distanceto which it isj'ordi-.

narily desirable to. dip 'azpen and being provided I with intersecting, grooves extending partly through the material, saidgroovesbe ing adapted to form slits defining flexible flaps when breakage has been effected there-V along. 5 I: a i

3. In combination with an ink container, an integral well formed of compressible material, the upper end of said well being open and sealed about its periphery to the upper portion of said container, the lower end of said well being provided with intersecting slits defining flexible flaps, and a frangible jacket formed of a sheet of thin elastic material stretched over said lower end to cover said slits.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES L. KUBISTA. 

